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To the Editor:
All of us have heard and read many times how men are the privileged half of the society. And even though most men do suspect that that is not the whole story, few of us are prepared for the harsh reality of the 21st century.
Even as most of us do not know the meaning of the word misandry, over the last year we have seen that men are the only birth group against whom hatred and sexually threatening language is legal and acceptable. Also, our major media has shown much more misandry when they gloated over the murder of David Harris.
Unfortunately, anti-male attitudes prevalent in our society do not stop at words. One of the worst forms of discrimination we face is the lack of help for abused men. According to Violence Against Women Report 2000, 36 percent of domestic violence victims are male. You may think that men are stronger, but I can attest from personal experience how devastating prolonged emotional abuse can be. Not only do these victims not get any police or other help, but frequently therapists who were taught to see men as victimizers only side with their abusers. In 1996-7, I had that kind of therapist.
Other forms of anti-male discrimination include discrimination in divorce cases (www.fathers-4-justice.org) and the fact that men have the most dangerous jobs and make up 94 percent of job fatalities and selective service. When I will be ready to give up all hopes of employment for the future, I may write on the subject of "false accusations of rape," but for now you can plug that phrase into the Google search-engine and learn about the danger most single men face in modern society.
If you are interested about learning more about the man's place in modern society, you can go to www.amazon.com and get "The Myth of Male Power" and "Women Can't Hear What Men Don't Say" by Warren Farrell. You will be amazed by the extent to which what you read matches what you see around you. Remember, though, that the book written in 1993 can only partially reflect the much harsher reality of 2005.
Having spoken so much about the problem, I would like to give some advice to men faced with the issues. First of all you should educate yourself by doing a Google search on "men's rights." Not only will it get you ready for facing the modern society, but also it will erase your unearned guilt for being a man. That will help you stand up for your rights when they are violated.
But, by far the most important way to stand up for your rights is by exercising your First Amendment rights. You must feel that if you are a human, your grievances should be important to society. You should speak up in the most public way possible, like letters to editors, to governors and calls to talk shows.
By speaking up, you will get support of those with similar concerns. You will also be doing a great favor to anyone else who lacks courage to speak up. Had I not read "The Universal Myth of the 'Oppressed Woman'" by Diana Lewis and "Painefully Right" by James Paine and other letters criticizing radical feminism, I would still be pretending I have freedom of speech without daring to use it.
Mike Shubov Graduate Student
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